APTA Launches New Resources on Term Protection for Physical Therapy

In 2010, the APTA House of Delegates adopted RC 21-10 Action to Protect the Use of the Term, Title, and Designation of Physical Therapy and Physiotherapy. This motion directed APTA to develop and implement a plan to achieve full title and term protection for physical therapy and physiotherapy in all US jurisdictions. As part of the effort to fulfill RC 21-10, APTA has launched its new Term Protection Resource Center to provide members with resources on this issue. Included on the resource center site is background information on term protection, a basic summary of the current status of state term protection laws, information on filing complaints, and resources for chapters that seek to enact state legislation to provide for physical therapy term protection. As part of its term protection advocacy campaign, APTA will launch its new advertisement on term protection for physical therapy aimed at state policy makers, and designed educate them on the need to enact term protection laws. The full-page color advertisement will run in future editions of State Legislatures magazine, the monthly publication of the National Conference of State Legislatures which is provided to state legislators, legislative staff, and other state policy makers in all US jurisdictions.

In addition, APTA, in conjunction with the law firm Tucker Arensberg PC, recently finished an exhaustive research and analysis of the various state term protections laws. APTA state chapter leaders will be provided a legal analysis of the current term protection laws in their state, and the mechanisms for enforcement to assist with moving forward on future advocacy efforts aimed at term protection for physical therapy.